Better And ‘Better’

Since the first moment I heard Chrisette Michele sing, I was in love.

Now, when I say “in love” I don’t mean it in the way it sound. Although, granted, she is gorgeous as the day is long that’s not my particular point in saying what I said.

Her voice ensnared me from the first time I heard it. There is a quality to her voice that I cannot put a finger on but it makes her stand out as an artist.

It is for this reason that I listened to her latest album, Better.

From beginning to end this album is filled with strong production, good features, and an amazing delivery. It is one of those CDs that you can put on and allow to play the whole way through.

Allow me to tell you about a few of my favorites from the LP.

“Be In Love” is the bass track first track on the album. Here Chrisette talks about how her past relationships were rough but haven’t broken her faith in the idea of love. This is a strong message. More often than not people give up on love because bad experiences or some foolish thought that they will never find it again. With this song Chrisette Michelle shows that she is brave in the face of a possible bad experience and that she wants to be in love again.

“A Couple Of Forevers” would probably have to be my favorite. I firstly appreciated the use of The O’Jays track “Stairway To Heaven” as the basis and the sample for this track. As I listen to this song I am suddenly put in mind of wedding vows, family, and a beautiful woman in a white dress. Given enough time this one will join the annals of such wedding staples as “Let’s Get Married” and “Spend My Life With You”. The track is that strong and evokes that kind of imagery.

“Rich Hipster” has a decidedly heavy neo-soul vibe to me with (forgive this) touches of a hipster element. The instrumentation is rich and crisp. Drums and horns define this track and give it something of a summertime groove that makes me nod my head without fear of who sees me. More to add to hipster chic Wale drops a rather good verse before the track ends. All and all, rather well done.

“Charades” threw me for a second. Look, I love Chrisette Michelle. I love 2 Chainz as well. But at face value these two shouldn’t work so well on a track. Imagine both my delight and surprise to hear how good they sound together. This one is a bit more R & B sounding than a few other tracks on the album. The basic theme of the song is a girl [Chrisette] who is guarded around a guy who she likes because of his ‘charades’ , or the games he’s played with other women. 2 Chainz is a bit more subdued on his verse to fit the song. His verse adds another level to the song. In he states that he finds her cute but it trying to convince her he isn’t what she believe him to be.

Also check out: “Snow”, “You Mean That Much To Me” and “Supa”

Better is a sonic journey that any true Chrisette Michelle fan should take. Or any listener. Check it out. You will not be disappointed.


written by Lucius Black for Royalty Magazine